Delusions of grandeur

In life, and therefore in politics, when things become difficult at home we tend to look at problems elsewhere, either for distraction or reassurance.

- Andrew Anthony

In the UK, national debt has hit a new high, or low, the new Labour government is complaining that its Conservative predecessor concealed a massive hole in public finance, and everyone agrees it will be a monumental task to save an ailing NHS, enable large-scale house building and set the country on the path to growth and prosperity.

But none of those issues really animates the conversation of anyone but the most obsessive policy wonks. Instead, as the government struggles to avert the economic icebergs ahead, all eyes are on two far-off places, the United States and Israel (and its shadowland Palestine).

The way people speak in London about November's American presidential election could easily lead you to believe that they have a vote to decide whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump makes it to the White House. And similarly, there seems to be a widespread understanding that if the UK government condemns Israel forcefully enough, the war in Gaza will be swiftly brought to an end.